M1A1 Carbine
History The M1 Carbine is a reliable, lightweight, semi-automatic gas-operated Carbine that became standard issue to service personnel and airborne forces in the US Army during WWII. The concept of the Carbine was the request for a light weapon that fired a small caliber cartridge, that could be issued to non-combat/rear echelon personnel whose duties included, clerks, cooks, drivers, typists, medical units, recon pilots, and vehicle personnel. It was designed to give these personnel greater firepower and range that the standard Colt M1911 pistol could not provide. At just around 5 pounds, the M1 Carbine is a very light weapon, and carrying it in combat was much less tiring than a full sized rifle. The M1A1 is the compact version of M1, intended for paratrooper use, it stock was made by steel rather than wood to decrease the total length. Stopping Power In close quarters and up to 200 yards, the .30 cal carbine round has the stopping power of a .45 ACP, and can easily bring down a human target up to 150+ yards with a single hit to the head, torso, or abdomen. Though in very close range, the .45 ACP has far more power due to its bigger cailber. The low-velocity, blunt tipped .30 caliber round minimized collateral damage because it would usually only penetrate 6 inches into a human body (due to the low velocity), and because it was blunt tipped, which causes it to stop quickly rather than pass straight through the body like pointed rifle rounds would. The .30 cal round expendes all of its energy within the small 6 inch diameter wound channel, resulting in a wound cavity radius internally of about 8 inches in diameter, and any organs and tissue within that radius would be completely obliterated, thus making the M1 Carbine a highly feared and lethal weapon when used at its effective ranges. However, using the weapon at long ranges as many soldiers did, did not see great results from the .30 caliber round. Because the effective range for its round was between 150-250 yards, anything beyond that caused the bullet to have significantly less stopping power, which is why many soldiers criticized the M1 Carbine for being "weak" and "underpowered," when in fact it was simply because the soldiers themselves were using the weapon beyond its intended effective limits. Variants The M1 Carbine fired a .30 caliber modified pistol round that had a much shorter effective range then the standard .30 cal round fired by the M1 Garand, BAR or Browning .30 cal machine gun. However, this smaller round made the gun much lighter. A special folding stock was issued for airborne forces to make the gun more compact and therefore easier to jump with, this version is known as the "M1A1" Carbine. The M1 Carbine, by nature, wasn't intended for heavy combat actions, as it was designed more for self-defense, and for light assaults against light-to medium defenses and emplacements. Suggested Tactics in Gameplay The Carbine is often part of the players two weapon load out in Brothers in Arms, especially in the early levels. The player starts with the Carbine in both Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood's first levels. The M1 Carbine is also used by members of the assault team due to its light weight, compact size and its modest firepower and rate of fire. The version of the weapon most often seen in the game is the M1A1, which had a metal, folding stock rather than the wooden stock of the original M1 to make it more compact. The M1A1 was the standard issue Carbine to US paratroopers. Now, note that the unmodded game version of the Carbine is one of the weaker weapons of the game (due to balancing purposes). It has a modest rate of fire but is best suited to deal against conscripts and occasionally, Infanterie. Using this firearm against Panzergrenadiers or Fallschirmjager is not an advisable idea due to the inferior firepower of the weapon, and their MP 40, StG 44 or even FG 42 will have the advantage in most combat scenarios. The good points of using the Carbine, however, include its low recoil and its useful iron sights, the fairly large 15 round magazine makes the M1 Carbine effective in suppression/covering fire and is very useful in close-quarters combat. Remember, the Carbine was meant for non-combat roles, and was to be used as a back-up weapon or for persons whos jobs prevented them from using the M-1 service rifle, people like clerks, drivers, cooks, and officers in rearward positions. The M1A1 Carbine arrives in-game as the 'US M1 Carbine Rifle' In early games the ammo can be used up quickly if not careful. In Hell's Highway, the M1A1 Carbine is more unrealistic, since if aimed well, a headshot is very likely for a skilled player. It is much more accurate than its old counterparts and will kill an enemy in 1-2 shots, like the M1 Garand. Headshots are more likely to result in an instant kill. ru:M1A1 Carbine category:Weapons